DIVERSE YET UNITED: Where Harmony Prevails Amid Variety
The first thought that comes to mind when one encounters the phrase diversity in the context of education is often related to academics- a multitude of courses and research work, but, is certainly not limited to it. Derived from the Latin word dīversitās, diversity points towards variety. In fact, diversity, which also encompasses acceptance and respect for all, can prove to be a new path towards success. This diversity prepares the students to build successful careers in the future by encouraging critical thinking and building of alliances, irrespective of the differences, to work together to achieve desired goals.
India is a country with huge variations in terms of geography, religion, culture, politics, linguistics, food, lifestyle and people. Unity in Diversity, is the unique feature of the Indian society. Our country has accommodated different elements of different societies without letting them lose their individual identities. The people of India have the freedom to practice their own way of life. The concept that diversity enriches human interaction has served as the backbone to several social movements around the world with the core ideas, unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation.
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Established in the year 2008, on the banks of the same river Sabarmati near the karmabhoomi of Mahatma Gandhi, IIT Gandhinagar is an embodiment of the idea ‘diverse yet united’ in itself. Apart from academics, an immense diversity prevails among its students, faculty and staff. Unlike a number of institutes in the country which have maximum number of faculty and students limited to a particular State or region geographically, a special report generated on completion of the Institute’s 10 years indicates that 90% of students are from out of Gujarat, representing 28 states/union territories of India as well as foreign countries like USA, Turkey, Nepal, and so on. 15% of the visiting faculty is from all over India and abroad, overall 95% of faculty is from out of the state and 6% of regular and contractual faculty is international.
According to Pratik Mutha, Dean (Academic Affairs) and Associate Professor (Biological Engineering), diversity is an integral part of the IIT Gandhinagar community and it is clearly visible on the academic and non-academic fronts. Talking about a significant number of the faculty being from outside Gujarat and in fact, also outside India, he explained that the major contributing factors are a vibrant research ecosystem, an engaged community, flat governance with minimal bureaucracy, openness to new and varied ideas, a good quality of life and opportunities for spouses. Such a diverse faculty body introduces students to different ways of learning, exposes them to many cultures and familiarizes them with countless innovations happening across the globe, hence encouraging their multifaceted development.
Tarushyam Mukherjee, a PhD scholar in Biological Engineering and an active member of the Bengali Community at the Institute, said that cultural diversity is one of the most beautiful aspects of IIT Gandhinagar in terms of its unified nature. Although there are different cultural communities (Tamil, Marathi, Punjabi, etc.), all of us celebrate each other’s festivals with great pomp and show. An event hosted by one community will always have special performances by people of other communities. A Marathi wouldn’t be able to understand Bengali language, and hence, common languages (Hindi and English) are used as means of communication throughout the functions. There is a perfect coordination among all the groups without any discrimination.
One can also see diversity in the dining halls of an institute. There are many Indian colleges and universities where food items of different regions are kept separately which affects the seating arrangement of students, faculty and staff as well. As a result, people tend to form distinct groups while having their meals based on their region, food habits and language and there is almost no intercultural interaction. Often, dining halls are also separated based on gender. On the contrary, the mess at IIT Gandhinagar is common for males and females. All the food items are kept together; the only distinction is for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. This promotes healthy intercultural interactions and prevents any kind of group-ism, encouraging a sense of unity in the face of diversity.
In terms of academic unity, there are no separate buildings for various departments and no heads of departments at the Institute. Known as the open-lab system, all research infrastructures are commonly shared and not monopolized by departments. It fosters collaborative research on a larger front and at different levels and is uniquely distinct from the individual stream-specific labs prevalent in most institutes of the country.
An international student from Turkey pursuing MA in Society and Culture, Sevgi Demiroglu, expressed that students share and manifest different cultures, come with diverse ideas and skills and are treated unique at IIT Gandhinagar. Each member respects the identity of another and this is what makes this Institute different. Everyone learns together and embraces what is new, together. This IIT has collaborations with many institutions around the world that gives numerous global-exposure opportunities to students. Despite the ethnic diversity, the entire community works together as a team. There is a board near her Sanskrit instructor’s office on which she writes shlokas and students translate them in their mother-tongue(s). It feels like a big step towards the harmony amid variety that prevails at this campus- IIT Gandhinagar is a mini-India in itself!
It is a significant step at the institute level as it helps us understand the bigger picture of how a diverse yet united community positively impacts the students in terms of intensified self-awareness, expanded knowledge base and enhanced social development. It enriches their experiences, strengthens their innate creativity and builds the baseline for global engagement. Diversity is the most beneficial and productive in its united state:
“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” — Mahatma Gandhi.
